Seal for bottles or similar containers



(N0 Mt idel.) I

R. C. HOYER.

SEAL FOR BOTTLES 0R SIMILAR CONTAINERS- No. 583,859. Patented June 1, 1897.

WITNESSES 4 z I /NVEN7'0R UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH C. IIOYER, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

SEAL FOR BOTTLES OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,859, dated. June 1, 1897.

Ap lication fil d August 10, 1896. Serial No. 602,303. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH O. IIOYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Seal I of glass or kindred material, to be looked over the mouth of the container in such a manner that it must be partly broken to ob tain the contents of the container destroying the identity of the container or bottle and thereby preventing the fraudulent use of same as an original package or for refilling with spurious goods. I attain this object by the novel construction and combination of the several parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a vertical section through the center of a bottle-neck with the sealing-hood attached as the bottle appears when it is filled and ready for sale or shipment. Fig. 2'is a top view of the bottle under the same conditions, and Fig. 3 is a section on line A B of Fig. 1.

Similar figures refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The hood or cap 1 is made of glass or kindred material in one piece, consisting of a hollow cylinder, one end of which terminates in two or more ribs 8, joined to a disk-shaped center 7. More particularly described, the before-mentioned disk is an inverted frustum of a cone, its base forming the outer face and its top extending slightly into the cylinder. The radial ribs 8, extending from the disk, are gradually reduced in thickness to where they join the edges of the cylinder, making these junctions the thinnest part of the hood. Should it be of advantage or desirable in the construction of the same, the top part of the hood may be entirely closed, of bulb shape, flattened at the top, and made thinner in section where it joins the cylindrical part of the hood.

Within the above-mentioned hood at a predetermined distance below the inner face of the disk 7 there is provided a horizontal annular groove 6 for the purpose of engaging a coil or open-ring retaining-spring 4, which spring is seated in a similar groove 5 in the outer surface of the neck of the bottle and at a distance below the mouth of the bottle equal to or a little less than the distance of the groove 6 below the inner surface of the disk in the hood.

The upper surface of the neck of the bottle 2 is increased in thickness and is made smooth and regular, of cylindrical shape, so that the hood 1 Will fit snugly over same and have sliding motion thereon.

The above-mentioned retaining-spring 4 (shown best in Fig. 3) may be made of any hard and flexible material, preferably of galvanized steel. Its outer edge is rounded off to cause a minimum of friction for the sliding of the hood.

In its operation after the bottle, is filled and corked the hood 1 is placed over the mouth and pushed down over the neck 2 of the bottle until the inner face of the disk 7, which is slightly smaller in diameter than the top of the cork 3, presses or bears on the cork, the thickness of the disk 7 not allowing the ribs 8 to come in contact with the upper edge of the mouth of the bottle. In thisposition the grooves 5 and 6 on the neck of the bottle and in the hood, respectively, come on a level with each other and are both engaged by the retaining-spring 4, which had previously been placed in the groove 5 on the neck of the bottle, thereby locking the hood securely and permanently over the mouth and neck of the bottle in such a manner that it cannot be removed without destroying the bottle. When the bottle is to be opened to obtain the contents, the seal 7 and 8, forming the top of the hood, is removed by breaking the ribs 8 by tapping them with any hard instrument at their weak points where they join the cylindrical part of the hood, after which the cork can be Withdrawn in the usual way and the contents poured out. In this last condition the identity of the bottle is absolutely destroyed beyond repair, preventin g effectively the fraudulent use of same as an original package or the refilling of the bottle with spurious goods. A design or trade-mark may be molded on the outer surface of the hood to more particularly emphasize its identity.

Besides the advantage as a seal mentioned above the invention serves as a binder for the cork, holding it securely in place.

In cases where the pressure is very excessive on the cork from gases evolved within the bottle means are provided for binding the cork with wire. Two vertical depressionsare madein the inner surface of the hood opposite each other, and extending from near its upper edge to just above the annular groove 6 at the lower end of each of these depressions two small holes are made through the hood. The two ends of a wire 9 are passed through the two small holes on one side, thence over the cork and through the holes on the other side, drawing tight and fastening by twisting the ends of the wire 9, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a seal and cork-binder for bottles and similar containers which are closed by the insertion of a cork in a neck, a bottle or similar container, the upper portion of its neck increased in thickness, the outer surface of this part of the neck smooth and cylindricalshaped, an annular horizontal groove in this surface, to serve as a seat for a coil or openringretainingspring, of galvanized steel or other flexible hard material, a hood or cap in one piece, of glass or kindred material, consistin g of a hollow cylinder terminated at one end in two or more ribs joined to a central disk, shaped like an inverted frustum of a cone, these ribs thinnest at their junction with the cylindrical part, two vertical depressions opposite each other in the inner surface of the cylindrical part of the hood, extending from near its top to a short distance below, at the lower end of each of these depressions, two small holes through the sides of the hood, these depressions and holes to serve as guides for and to fasten a wire which binds the cork, below the above-mentioned small holes, in the inner surface of the cylindrical part of the hood, an annular horizontal groove, to engage the above-mentioned retaining-spring, substantially as and for the purpose Specified.

2. In a seal and cork-binder for bottles and similar containers, a bottle or similar container, the upperportion of its neck increased in thickness, the outer surface of this part of the neck, smooth and cylindrical-shaped, an annular horizontal groove in this surface to serve as a seat for a coil or open-ring spring of steel or other flexible hard material, a hood or cap in one piece of glass or kindred material, consisting of a hollow cylinder terminated at its upper edge by abulb flattened at the top, the section of the hood thinnest at the junction of the bulb with the cylindrical part, in the inner surface of the cylindrical part of the hood an annular horizontal groove to engage the before-mentioned retaining'spring, in the inner surface of the hood two vertical depressions opposite each other extending from the upper edge of the cylindrical part to a short distance below this edge, at the lower end of each of these depressions two small holes through the sides of the hood these depressions and holes to serve as guides for and to fasten a wire which binds the cork, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

RUDOLPH C. HOYER.

Vitnesses:

WILLIAM SHELTON, JULIUS LOHMAN. 

